Hello,
We've worked on a few LEED projects in the past, and we've always used the most recent drawings available to us. Sometimes it's 50% CDs, or 100% CDs, issued for construction, or final addendum. In all the cases above, we've never got a comment about how recent a drawing set is (but we have received comments about inconsistencies between credits due to using differing drawing sets by different team members).
My question: is there any published requirements about which drawing set must be used in the certification process? In my review of the Guidelines book, I couldn't find any language that discusses this, but I didn't really read the full book. I'm most interested in the EA credits, but I assume the language will apply to all credits, not just EA. Does anyone have an idea?
Thanks!
Waleed
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5909 thumbs up
December 4, 2017 - 12:59 pm
Not sure it is required but the design credits should logically be based on the final design documents. Anything else will just make the reviewer question if anything changed before the final documents.
Waleed AlGhamdi
Sustainability EnablerEskew+Dumez+Ripple
20 thumbs up
December 4, 2017 - 2:19 pm
Thanks Marcus.
I've found some language for the type of construction documents in places I didn't look at.
In the LEED v4 Guidelines, page 405 Optimize Energy Performance, under requirements, it says "Establish an energy performance target no later than the schematic design phase."
On page 410 it says "Update the proposed and baseline energy models to reflect final construction details and specifications".
Similar language is used in the "Further Explanation" of both EA Minimum Energy Performance prerequisite and Optimize Energy Performance credit.
I was looking for something a little more comprehensive, perhaps in the Minimum Program Requirements, that says which drawing set must be used. But as far as the EA energy modeling credits are concerned, these excerpts, as well as the subsequent language in the section, state pretty clearly what the model needs to reflect. It goes as far as saying that Value Engineering exercises during construction might affect building efficiency and credit achievement, and those need changes need to be addressed in the model.
In another location, there's a discussion of the "Preliminary Energy Model", both in the credit and prerequisite sections, and they refer to the integrative process credit and it's simple box model. But I was more interested in the final documentation requirement.
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5909 thumbs up
December 4, 2017 - 2:36 pm
LEED has always had the requirement that the final energy model must reflect the as-built construction. This has not been enforced very well. In fact all credits must be based on the as-built construction. During a split submission projects used to have to check a box that indicated nothing changed during construction that would affect any of the design credits. That was removed I think but the requirement to do so has not changed. The design credits should be based on the final design documents which should be updated if anything that affects them happens during construction. The construction credits are based on what was done during construction (as the name implies).
Waleed AlGhamdi
Sustainability EnablerEskew+Dumez+Ripple
20 thumbs up
December 4, 2017 - 2:54 pm
That's interesting, as enforcement of energy codes has also been weak on the state level. We work with some state programs, and sometimes a project would come along and claim significant state incentives upfront based on early energy models. During the review process for those models, one of the items we see projects push back on is "if LEED accepts it, why don't you?!". Except LEED doesn't give away taxpayer/benefit-charge money, and we're sometimes put in a tough position as a result.
Some state programs have the good intention of helping projects by subsidizing some measures and consulting fees, but in some cases that's taken advantage of by program loopholes or exaggerated early assumptions. And typically, money that was given upfront isn't claimed back by the state program when the results claimed earlier in the process are not realized. Hence the earlier question, which will help set program requirements. There's still a loophole as LEED requires the model to be updated at as-built phase, whereas some of these incentives are granted prior to starting construction altogether.
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5909 thumbs up
December 4, 2017 - 3:04 pm
I have been doing LEED reviews on energy models for over 13 years. If I was giving money to a project based on a model I would not accept the LEED review as any kind of stamp of approval that the model is correct. The M&V for such programs should have a higher level of sctutiny than LEED.
Personally I think both LEED and these incentives should ultimately be based on the actual performance and not the predicted performance. Predicted performance is fine for awarding a provisional or temporary LEED score/incentive payment, but there should be a required link to the actual performance in both situations. Too often designers just walk away and don't follow up their designs to see how they actually perform.
Waleed AlGhamdi
Sustainability EnablerEskew+Dumez+Ripple
20 thumbs up
December 4, 2017 - 4:22 pm
Agreed. The programs I've worked with split incentives, where a part is received upfront after approval of the energy model based on design documents, and the final payment is released after verification. The intent is that if some incentive was overpaid upfront (because the projected savings were never realized), the final payment will be reduced proportionally. But even with this setup, sometimes the early projections are so off the mark that -if programs were strict about it- a project should give back all it's earlier incentives. Luckily we're seeing less and less of these as the programs mature and demand more realistic assumptions and documentation.
Having said that, LEED has the name recognition and rigor that it's often cited by professionals and administrators in the industry, which is an asset for LEED, and a motivation to push forward.
RETIRED
LEEDuser Expert
623 thumbs up
December 4, 2017 - 4:32 pm
Waleed - If the drawing set requirement is spelled out anywhere, it would be in the LEED Certification Policy Manual - https://www.usgbc.org/resources/leed-certification-policy-manual. This article - https://www.usgbc.org/articles/registration-close-and-sunset-dates - states that is for versions other than LEED v4. LEED v4 projects are supposed to use the Guide to Certification - http://www.usgbc.org/cert-guide, which is not as in depth as the Manual.
I'll be curious if you find a reference there.
I think one of the jobs of the LEED Project Administrator is to look for consistency in what is being submitted and that means that the team is using the same set of drawings. I've always assumed that the 100% CD set is used for the Design Phase Submittal. And I typically don't want teams to start working on actual Design Review documentation until after CDs and value engineering are complete. That way you avoid rework by the team and you have a better idea that things will be built as designed instead of having to do updates. And you can be clear on the drawing set version. IMHO - Inconsistent drawings are a red flag to LEED Reviewers that a QA/QC review by the LEED Project Administrator has not been done.